Today is Friday, the 16th of August, a very exciting day for me because I am taking part in the publishing journey of a debutante author.

As Tara Westover  (author of the much-acclaimed book ‘Educated’ ) says

Publishing a book is a very different thing than writing one.

 

Writing a novel is hard but publishing it is another ball game. There are so many things to consider right from choosing an agent, the right publisher and designing the cover.

Because very often, a book is judged by its cover.

So here it is : the cover for Damyanti Biswas‘s debut crime novel, You Beneath Your Skin to be published this September by Simon & Schuster, India.

The red and black immediately captures nuances of an atmospheric crime story, and the face visible under the title makes you wonder who she is, and what her story might be. What kind of crime is it? A  crime of passion or a plain, brutal pre-meditated act? Who has done what to who? And what were the reasons behind the crime?

The Blurb:

Lies. Ambition. Family.

It’s a dark, smog-choked New Delhi winter. Indian American single mother Anjali Morgan juggles her job as a psychiatrist with caring for her autistic teenage son. She is in a long-standing affair with ambitious Police Commissioner Jatin Bhatt – an irresistible attraction that could destroy both their lives. 

Jatin’s home life is falling apart: his handsome and charming son is not all he appears to be, and his wife has too much on her plate to pay attention to either husband or son. But Jatin refuses to listen to anyone, not even the sister to whom he is deeply attached.

Across the city, there is a crime spree: slum women found stuffed in trash bags, faces and bodies disfigured by acid. And as events spiral out of control Anjali is horrifyingly at the centre of it all.

In a sordid world of poverty, misogyny, and political corruption, Jatin must make some hard choices. But what he unearths is only the tip of the iceberg. Together with Anjali he must confront old wounds and uncover long-held secrets before it is too late.

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Crime and love are two popular subjects amongst both authors and readers. But how do two very ordinary middle-aged people get involved with a world that is diametrically opposite to their typically bourgeois one?

Aren’t you intrigued by the cover?

Undoubtedly, the striking cover of red and black does grab your attention. The barely visible female face peering from behind the title is intriguing. Is she the victim? Is she the perpetrator of the crime? And what is the crime?

In today’s world where each crime seems more horrific than the previous one, you want to know the extent of goriness and gruesomeness this book will reveal.

If you would like to know more, pre-order here your copy of  YOU BENEATH YOUR SKIN . And pre-order it NOW. Especially if you like pacy reads that also engage with various social issues.

Pre-order YOU BENEATH YOUR SKIN here.

A little bit about the author

Who is Damyanti Biswas?

I first came across this avid blogger and writer through WriteTribe, a group to which we both belong. I was fascinated by her crisp writing style and the facility with which she spun a compelling blog post. I had to meet this person I thought. 

And I got lucky because Damyanti Biswas lives in Singapore! She works with Delhi’s underprivileged children as part of Project Why, a charity that promotes education and social enhancement in underprivileged communities. Her short stories have been published in magazines in the US, UK, and Asia, and she helps edit the Forge Literary Magazine. You can find her on her blog and twitter.

Last October, when she was crisscrossing India on a research trip,  I was thrilled that she agreed to meet me during her short trip to Mumbai. During our brief meeting, I was struck by her energy, her vivacity, and her gentle demeanour.

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Why you should read this book

If you are a reader of crime novels you will definitely like this fast-paced novel. It is a novel set in contemporary India, in the Capital city and one that intermingles social issues with romance and crime.

Furthermore, remember that all proceeds to the author from the sale of  You Beneath Your Skin would be divided between Chhanv Foundation and Project WHY.

To support the organisations, pre-order HERE.

Have a happy weekend all and don’t forget to pre-order.

Ciao